Contact lenses Online...

HellFireClub

Right, I've finally had enough of SpecSavers trying to get me to do a yearly checkup for contacts that I've been using for the last 15 years and their underhand ways of trying to squeeze money out of you for checkup's and the likes claiming that it is "illegal" for them to issue contact lenses to you unless you have a yearly check up... It annoys me the way they treat you like a child, I'm sure if I have a problem with my eyes that require a check-up, as an adult I can use my cop on to make an appointment to have it checked out as I would with any other medical issue I might have the misfortune to run into...

Just wondering has anyone bought contact lenses online and would anyone recommend a site for good prices and service??? The sites I've been looking at do not seem to be based in Ireland...

E.T.

Have a look at this thread
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055547581.

The Lovely Muffin

As far as I know they are required to do check-up's for contact lenses.

I know every few (six months, I think) months I have to have a check-up for my contacts. I don't use Specsavers mind, I use a local optician.

I've ordered from https://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/ once, turned out the lenses we're the right size for my eyes so they went to waste. I don't know if you use standard size lenses or not, I don't, hence why they were too big for my eyes.

Here's a a few sites, I've never used them so don't know what they are like to deal with.

http://www.specsavers.ie/
http://www.opticiansonline.ie/
http://www.eurolens.ie/
http://www.ezlenses.com/

Have you tried the Eyeglasses & Contact Lens & Eyecare]forum sometimes there's posts in there where people are selling/giving away their contact lenses.

fl4pj4ck

using those for the last couple years: http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/default.aspx

Einstein

I got a one month supply from these guys --> https://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com
to give them a try. €11.98 for a months supply.

I can only wear the smaller lenses so was a bit dubious before I tried em...but they're great...they dry out after about 6 hours or so, so I find I need to use drops once ot twice a day...but tahts probably due to the fact that I've succumbed to putting little things in my eye

Deffo worth a look!

xoxyx

I agree with you that it's a pain to get the check ups, and they always come around too quickly, but, I reckon, for something as important as your eyes, it's no harm to have to drop €20 / €30 a year to make sure they're getting on ok.

I'm not sure of the legal aspect - having a quick google at the mo - but eyesight does deteriorate and this can happen at any time, irrespective of how long your eyesight has remained stable. Plus, check ups will catch any potential problems that may be developing.

It's along the lines of smears and mammograms right? Better catch anything early, even if the odds are against something going wrong.

Most, (certainly most reputable) online lens providers will require that you submit an up to date eye check before supplying you with lens (although their requirements may not be as tight as one year).

If you're looking for cheaper lens online, I know there's an initiative within SpecSavers where you pay monthly by direct debit and get your lens delivered and it's cheaper than getting it in store.

Anyway, if you've been using your lens for 15 years, it's about time for a change!! I know that I've changed lens types about five times in the last ten years or so since I've been wearing them due to new products coming on the market. Check ups will advise you of the best new products available to you.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm just really happy with the service I've got from SpecSavers, and the lens I use (1 month continuous wear) are, to me, as good as laser treatment!

Disclaimer: I do not work for SpecSavers!!!

dudara

Moved to Eyeglasses & Contact Lenses & Eyecare

dudara

Daisies

HellFireClub wrote: »

Right, I've finally had enough of SpecSavers trying to get me to do a yearly checkup for contacts that I've been using for the last 15 years and their underhand ways of trying to squeeze money out of you for checkup's and the likes claiming that it is "illegal" for them to issue contact lenses to you unless you have a yearly check up... It annoys me the way they treat you like a child, I'm sure if I have a problem with my eyes that require a check-up, as an adult I can use my cop on to make an appointment to have it checked out as I would with any other medical issue I might have the misfortune to run into...

Just to elt you know it is actually illegal to be supplied with contact lenses without a valid prescription, and a contact lens prescription is only to be supplied for one year (6 months if wearing continuous wear lenses)

Squiggle

Purple_Bobbin wrote: »

As far as I know they are required to do check-up's for contact lenses.

I know every few (six months, I think) months I have to have a check-up for my contacts. I don't use Specsavers mind, I use a local optician.

I've ordered from https://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/ once, turned out the lenses we're the right size for my eyes so they went to waste. I don't know if you use standard size lenses or not, I don't, hence why they were too big for my eyes.

Here's a a few sites, I've never used them so don't know what they are like to deal with.

http://www.specsavers.ie/
http://www.opticiansonline.ie/
http://www.eurolens.ie/

Several people in this thread have reported problems with eurolens who are not based in Ireland as their web address indicates - they are US based and therefore there are tax implications if you buy from them.

endplate

There is more than just extracting money out of you for a yearly contact lens check. A lot of people do be tempted to over wear their contacts (not saying that you are one of those) and this can lead to serious eye infections like corneal infiltrate (these are spots that form on the cornea due to lack of oxygen).

You only have 2 eyes and Opticians do tend to know more than the average person about the human eye. I don't understand why somebody wouldn't want to spend as little €25 on their eyes once a year to ensure they remain healthy.

Get your contacts where ever you want but don't ignore your eyes.

optician

HellFireClub wrote: »

claiming that it is "illegal" for them to issue contact lenses to you unless you have a yearly check up...

It IS illegal for them to issue contact lenses without a yearly check up

HellFireClub wrote: »

I'm sure if I have a problem with my eyes that require a check-up, as an adult I can use my cop on to make an appointment to have it checked out as I would with any other medical issue I might have the misfortune to run into...

Many problems from overwear of contact lenses such as neovascularisation have no symptoms until it is too late and at late stage can result in you not being able to wear contact lenses again so if you think that this is worth saving €25 a year go ahead!

By all means buy the lenses whereever is cheapest but don't neglect the contact lens check ups

Rodin

HellFireClub wrote: »

Right, I've finally had enough of SpecSavers trying to get me to do a yearly checkup for contacts that I've been using for the last 15 years and their underhand ways of trying to squeeze money out of you for checkup's and the likes claiming that it is "illegal" for them to issue contact lenses to you unless you have a yearly check up... It annoys me the way they treat you like a child, I'm sure if I have a problem with my eyes that require a check-up, as an adult I can use my cop on to make an appointment to have it checked out as I would with any other medical issue I might have the misfortune to run into...

Just wondering has anyone bought contact lenses online and would anyone recommend a site for good prices and service??? The sites I've been looking at do not seem to be based in Ireland...

These adults with 'cop-on'. I've seen one with SIX different whole and partial contact lenses in one eye

Has your prescription changed in 15 years?

Rodin

xoxyx wrote: »

Sorry for the long post, but I'm just really happy with the service I've got from SpecSavers, and the lens I use (1 month continuous wear) are, to me, as good as laser treatment!

One monthly continuous wear lenses are bad news

HellFireClub

Rodin wrote: »

These adults with 'cop-on'. I've seen one with SIX different whole and partial contact lenses in one eye

Has your prescription changed in 15 years?

Just following up on this thead I started... Well I ordered my online contacts from www.daysoftcontactlenses.com, I think they were dispatched from Jersey Islands and they arrived in the post on the 5th working day after having placed the order online.

The product itself is of very good quality in my opinion, I can't notice any difference whatsoever in the quality of the product (DaySoft 58), from the Dailies that I have been getting in Specsavers. Total all in cost of product for 32 lenses which is a 2 week supply (as I have the same prescription for each eye). The equivilent product in Specsavers Daillies costs me 17.50 Euro.

So for a 1 months supply from daySoft I can get sorted for 22.98 Euro as opposed to the same cover from Specsavers costing me 35 Euro, a saving of 52.3%.

I might add that Specsavers were not trying to push me into a sight test, which I accept that I have to have done every two years and I've no issue with this at all. My issue is, with reference to the quoted post above, is that they were insisting on another eye "check up", which gets done every 12 months, in addition to the full sight test which has to get done every 24 months. Obviously this check up is incorporated into the sight test which has to get done every two years, so the long and the short of it is that you have to get a full sight test OR a yearly check up done once a year if you are dealing with Specsavers. This is only for folks who use contacts and not for people who use glasses...

I'm sure the other opticians operating here are no different, but as an adult I think that if I notice that I have an issue with the health or condition of my eyes, due to the use of contact lenses or any other issue, then as an adult I think I can make a decision to get this attended to by booking an eye exam in due course and not have a gun put to my head every 12 months in an effort to get more money out of me, and I might also add that we are 3 years into a recession and the price of contacts from Specsavers has only gone up in that time from 30 Euro to 35 Euro.

Specsavers will give you this elaboration in relation to this eye check up that goes along the lines of: "We have to make sure we are covered legally in case you ever have a problem and claim"...

When I start hearing this kind of rubbish from a business I have to say I'm less inclined to give them my business...

Daisies

HellFireClub wrote: »

I might add that Specsavers were not trying to push me into a sight test, which I accept that I have to have done every two years and I've no issue with this at all. My issue is, with reference to the quoted post above, is that they were insisting on another eye "check up", which gets done every 12 months, in addition to the full sight test which has to get done every 24 months. Obviously this check up is incorporated into the sight test which has to get done every two years, so the long and the short of it is that you have to get a full sight test OR a yearly check up done once a year if you are dealing with Specsavers. This is only for folks who use contacts and not for people who use glasses...

I'm sure the other opticians operating here are no different, but as an adult I think that if I notice that I have an issue with the health or condition of my eyes, due to the use of contact lenses or any other issue, then as an adult I think I can make a decision to get this attended to by booking an eye exam in due course and not have a gun put to my head every 12 months in an effort to get more money out of me, and I might also add that we are 3 years into a recession and the price of contacts from Specsavers has only gone up in that time from 30 Euro to 35 Euro.

Specsavers will give you this elaboration in relation to this eye check up that goes along the lines of: "We have to make sure we are covered legally in case you ever have a problem and claim"...

When I start hearing this kind of rubbish from a business I have to say I'm less inclined to give them my business...

Just to correct you again, a sight test and a contact lens check are two different things. A sight test is done every two years (unless indicated otherwise) and you cannot wear your contacts for that. The contact lens check is done every 12 months, and is done with the contact lenses on the eye to ensure the lenses are not doing any damage and so the 2 checks cannot be done at the same time. Also a lot of serious problems caused by contacts lenses eg neovascularisation from overwear of the lenses, will not be obvious to you until it is too late to do anything about it. They are legal obligations and the optometrist is legally responsible.

Have a read through the law http://www.optical.org/goc/filemanager/root/site_assets/legislation/act-part4.pdf
particularly sections 27 and 25

jwabh

To order contacts legally, the prescription must be in date. And a contact lens prescription is only valid for 12 months. Hence annual contact lens checkups are required. Also if your complaining about the cost of the checkup it is covered partially by your prsi contributions or your medical card. Almost all people in Ireland are covered by one of the above schemes.

Daisies

jwabh wrote: »

To order contacts legally, the prescription must be in date. And a contact lens prescription is only valid for 12 months. Hence annual contact lens checkups are required. Also if your complaining about the cost of the checkup it is covered partially by your prsi contributions or your medical card. Almost all people in Ireland are covered by one of the above schemes.

Just letting you know the contact lens check is not covered by medical card unless the contact lenses are medically necessary